7/15/2011 - Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz pins the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor on the uniform of French air force Maj. Guillaume Vernet July 13, 2011, at the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-la-Coquette, France. Vernet was awarded the decoration for repeatedly flying into hostile territory in December 2009 while deployed to Afghanistan as an exchange officer with the 41st Rescue Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. During that mission, Vernet rescued an urgent casualty whose injury put the lives of 160 British soldiers in jeopardy.Vernet was already decorated in the US

"Assigned to the 41st Rescue Squadron at Moody (Georgia) for three years, the commander Vernet conducted 57 helicopter missions of search and rescue, flying an HH-60G "Pave Hawk", mostly in Afghanistan. This is why the French officer had been honored by the U.S. Air Force two years ago with the Air Medal, with "Oak Leaf Cluster," for taking part in the rescue of 50 persons, February-April 2009, in the Afghan theater."LINK :http://www.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?id=123264225